Machu Picchu
and the Traditional Textiles of Peru
May 2018Rich Peruvian Culture, Ancient Inca Ruins,
Traditional Textile Arts
of the Sacred Valley and a Trip Extension into the Amazon!

The Wonders of Peru
This is truly a luxury journey into the heart of the Andean culture. From a coastal city to the heights of the Andes you will be immersed in the daily life of the people of Peru. It's villages and towns are filled with colorful markets, Andean music, native cuisine and handmade textiles. In Lima, as you stroll through a magnificent museum with its curator, get first hand insights into Peru's history and arts. Hear how the Andean and European cultures have combined in the arts with Silvia Stern in the impressive Barbosa-Stern Collection. The Sacred Valley opens the door to the Andean Highlands' way of life. Enjoy an extraordinary visit with Nilda Callanaupa, the founder of the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco, and her friendly artisans. Where locals wear their native attire with pride. Learn of the traditions of the artisan weavers and try your hand at making these ancient textiles. You will be inspired by these women and their beautiful textiles. Spend a fun day in an Andean village in their brightly colored ethnic clothing, learning of their daily tasks and participating where you can. This sharing of skills and culture brings you into the heart of the people and their history.

Machu Picchu, just saying the name evokes mental pictures of the mountainous ruins and the glory of the Inca civilization. You have two opportunities to explore this spectacular Inca ruin with a knowledgeable guide. Staying at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Lodge you may enjoy some of their special excursions, like a walk through a mountain garden. Cuzco welcomes you with a colorful market, a mammoth stone fortress, unbelievable temples, unique architecture, and an extraordinary tapestry collection. A city made to explore and filled with treasures.
Winding your way through the mountainous Andes on your way to Puno, visit small villages with sacred churches and ancient ruins. Arriving at Lake Titicaca explore floating islands and their inhabitants who live on these islands made of local reeds and their impressive reed boats. Interact with these happy people and enjoy a lunch with them. Learn that it is the men who do the colorful knitting. This journey through Peru has offered you the opportunity to understand its long and varied history, to see and try its colorful textile heritage, to partake of its cuisine, and explore its villages, cities and ancient wonders but most of all to get to know its people. A joyous Peruvian trip of a lifetime!

Do you want more? There is a trip extension to the Peruvian Amazon, with rain forest walks, boat tours of the Amazon's rivers, and opportunities to see the animals and birds plus the flora and fauna of the Amazon Rain Forest. See and experience the other part of Peru.

Peru's Ancient Wonders and Textiles Itinerary
Depart the USA:
International airfare is not included in the tour price, as many women wish to use air miles and favorite airlines. You may book your individual air transportation to Peru or, if you wish, we will be happy to assist with your air bookings.

Day 1 - Arrive Lima, Peru
Your Peruvian adventure begins as you arrive in Lima, Peru. You will be met and transferred to your hotel. Lima, the capital of Peru, sits on the country's Pacific coast. Lima is a bustling metropolis and one of South Americas largest cities, although they have preserved its lovely colonial center.

Accommodations: Casa Andina Select, Lima

Day 2 - Lima - Larco Museum - Barbosa-Stern Collection
Many flights arrived late last night so this morning is at leisure. This afternoon visit the famous Larco Museum, housing the largest private collection of pre-Colombian art in the world. Where you will enjoy lunch prior to your museum tour.

Meet with the museum Curator who will provide an entertaining scenario of the evolution of the cultures of ancient Peru. Walking through the museum with the curator makes the visit an inspiring experience giving you firsthand information about the collections and the people that made these beautiful archaeological objects.
Colonial culture in Latin America is an exciting blend of two cultural traditions: the Andean and the European. Visit Barbosa-Stern Collection which represents these two factions of colonial art. Since 1966, Eduardo Barbosa and his wife Silvia Stern have collected an impressive compilation of Spanish colonial art. Their sons have inherited their great love for colonial art and are now in charge of preserving their family's private collection. Your visit will be co-guided by mother Sylvia's youngest son Aldo. Accommodations: Casa Andina Select, Lima

Day 3 - Flight Lima to Cuzco - Sacred Valley - Textile Center
This morning transfer to the airport for a short (1Hr) flight to Cuzco. You will be met and transferred to the Sacred Valley.

The Sacred Valley is a region in Peru's Andean highlands and with the nearby towns of Cuzco and the ancient city of Machu Picchu, it formed the heart of the Inca Empire. This is an area of fertile farmland and Spanish colonial villages. It was treasured by the Inca for its wealth and mild climate.

We will arrive in the District of Chincheros, famous for the extraordinary beauty and quality of its textiles. It has a colorful local fair, where locals dress in traditional colorful outfits and travel down from their villages to trade their goods. Stroll through traditional alleyways, then visit the weaver's workshop of Nilda Callanaupa, the founder of the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco (Center For Traditional Textiles of Cusco - CTTC) started in 1966 and her native weaving project. Ten separate villages are involved in the weaving center. Here you will meet local weavers and see the process of dyeing and weaving their traditional textiles and enjoy a class with them.

Nilda was born and raised in Chinchero and started weaving at a young age. By the age of 14 she was presenting her works in textiles at the Smithsonian and the American Museum of National History. She has brought together both elders and young women for the preservation and promotion of beautiful, high quality textiles. The center also provides shelter for women in distress and helps young girls connect with their elders.

You will be hosted to a typical Cusqueno by Nilda. This will be followed by a "Tribute to the Mother Earth" ceremony. A 'Pacco' or Andean priest, who acts as a link between the spiritual and earthly worlds, conducts the ceremony. Balance of day at leisure. Accommodation: Sol y Luna, Urubamba, Sacred Valley B L

Day 4 - Sacred Valley and Cuyuni Community
Today as we adjust to the altitude we will visit more of the fascinating Sacred Valley and its people. This
agricultural center produced a wide variety of corn and all types of fruit. The majestic Apu Ausangate snow capped mountains stand as a backdrop to the native community of Cuyuni. The Inca noble class used this area as their country place of rest.

As you visit the native village of Cuyuni you will be 4,200 meters above sea level, the highest of the trip. We will follow these delightful people and learn about their way of life, daily work and their traditions and customs. It is one of the few traditional Andean Communities, where it seems like time has stood still. You may even be able to help harvest their native potatoes. You will be made to feel at home as children play and Llamas and Alpacas wander about. It is a day to immerse yourself in their culture.Accommodation: Soly Luna - Sacred Valley BL

Day 5 - Sacred Valley - Ollantaytambo - Machu PicchuToday is an exciting day starting with a train ride and then visiting the 'Santuario Historico de Machu Picchu' (Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu).

Your adventure starts early with a visit to Ollantaytambo, a village with the ruins of a massive Inca fortress built with large stone terraces on a hillside. An Inca-era old town has cobblestoned streets and adobe buildings. Then board the Vistadome train for great views of your trip to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes we will stop for a quick lunch then take the shuttle bus to the Machu Picchu Citadel.

Be prepared for the grandeur of Machu Picchu! It is one of the most beautiful and enigmatic ancient sites in the world. Rediscovered in 1911 by American Hiram Bingham, it was built in the Andean mountain tops around 1450 and myths and legends indicate that Machu Picchu was revered as a sacred place from a far earlier time. It is renowned for its sophisticated dry-stone walls using huge blocks of stone without mortar. This complex of palaces and piazzas, temples and homes, may have been built originally as a ceremonial site or possibly a military stronghold, or a retreat for the ruling elite, however it was abandoned only 100 years after being built. Its exact former use remains a mystery today.

Your special tour this afternoon will be professionally guided as you learn more of the history and legends of this important archaeological site. Return to the Inkaterra Hotel for dinner and the evening.

DAY 6: MACHU PICCHU - CUZCOThis is a special morning as you awake to the mountain top sounds, you can visit Machu Picchu ruins for the second time to appreciate the sunrise on Machu Picchu. Morning is the perfect time for more exploration of this magnificent site as there are no crowds. You may continue exploring different sides of the citadel lead by your guide. The hotel offers local excursions like a bird walk or exploring the orchard garden and more. This late afternoon we will take the Vistadome back to Cuzco where you will be transferred to your hotel for the evening.

Accommodation: El Mercado Tunqui, Cuzco B

Day 7- Cuzco City Tour - Sacsayhuaman Fortress - Market of St. Peter - Maximo Laura Tapestry MuseumBegin your day of touring the historic City of Cuzco at the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, a colossal structure of enormous stones, carved and fitted together with incredible precision. This immense ruin is of bold religious and military significance and the most impressive in the area. The long name means 'Satisfied Falcon' . Enjoy the best view of the city of Cuzco from atop Cerro Pukamoqo (Red Peak), a natural scenic overlook from which the outstretched arms of Cristo Blanco, a massive white statue of Christ, embraces the city. Returning to the lower part of the city, stop at the Mercado de San Pedro (Market of St. Peter), the city's main street market, where you can enjoy the products of Cuzco and the sights, aromas, tastes and colors of the Region.
Discover one of the most impressive buildings of Incan Cuzco, the Corikancha (The Golden Temple), a temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. Complete the day with a stroll through the Cuzco Plaza de Armas and visit the Cathedral to admire its exquisite vestibules and priceless paintings from the Cuzco school of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Next visit the unbelievable collection of over 200 tapestries in the Maximo Laura Museum. It is one of the largest most representative collections of contemporary Peruvian textile art anywhere in the world. Maximo Laura's mission is to promote, exhibit and preserve his work, as well as encourage and inspire future generations through his museum and outreach programs.
Dinner this evening at Incanto restaurant.Accommodation: El Mercado Tunqui, Cuzco B D

DAY 8: Cuzco to Puno - Andahuaylillas Village - Inca ruins at Racchi - La Raya Pass
Breakfast and an early departure from Cusco aboard a comfortable vehicle, as you enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the Andes. During your trip, you will make a brief stop at Andahuaylillas, a friendly, warm-weather town which is home to one of the most unique churches in the Andes, known as Peru’s Sistine Chapel. You will be dazzled by the beautifully decorated murals and frescoes covering walls, baseboards, ceilings and façades. Enjoy a buffet lunch at restaurant while en transit.

Your next stop is Racchi, one of the most important constructions of the Inca Empire, known for its extraordinary architecture.
You will then cross the La Raya Pass, which lies at 14,222 feet (4,335 meters) above sea level. There you will see herds of vicuñas and llamas. Your last stop will be the town of Pucara, known as the place where the Toritos (little bulls) of Pucará are made. The famous torito is believed to have magical and religious qualities among the inhabitants of the Andes as a symbol of procreation for the flocks, for happiness in marriage, fertility at home and as protection for the house.

You will be met and greeted upon arrival in Puno and check in to your hotel.

Accommodation: Casa Andina Private Collection, Puno B-L

DAY 9: Puno - Lake Titicaca - Uros & Taquile IslandsToday enjoy an extraordinary journey across the world's highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca. Travel to legendary places where time seems to have stood still. Your first stop will be the Uros floating islands. These are a peculiar grouping of around 40 small islands made totally of totora, a natural reed that grows around the lake. The cheerful inhabitants will invite you to get to know their traditional lifestyle and customs. The islands are floating and as the water rots the bottom new reeds are placed on the top. Islands were first made as a defensive move. The reed boats are spectacular in their structure.

You will continue your voyage across the placid waters of the lake until you come to the picturesque island of Taquile, a peaceful place where old Quechua traditions live in perfect balance with modernity. Discover a landscape distinct from the other islands thanks to the Incan terraces filled with local flowers and crops. The rich colors of the clothing worn by the local inhabitants will amaze you; admire their beautiful hand-made fabrics. Here the men do the knitting and the women spin and dye plus weave the Chumpis, wide belts with designs. Most importantly, enjoy the unbelievable hospitality of the islanders, known as Taquileños, who will make your visit to the island a memorable one. Before making your way back to Puno, you will have lunch at a local home.Accommodation: Casa Andina Private Collection, Puno B-L

DAY 10: Puno - Flight to LimaToday we say good bye to Lake Titicaca. Pack up your memories and treasures. You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima. On the way, visit the archeological complex of Sillustani, an amazing pre-Incan cemetery where more than 90 Chullpa or funerary towers, some up to 40 feet high, rise up imposingly around Lake Umayo. B

Fly to Lima where you will be met and given assistance with your international connection back home.

Bid farewell to your new friends, and pack up all your treasures and fantastic memories. This brings your exciting excursion into the magnificent Andes, the arts & crafts of Peru, the mysteries of Machu Picchu, and the beauty of Lake Titicaca to a close. Until we meet again for another adventure "Chua"!

Trip Extension to Amazon Rain Forest
If you have chosen to continue on to the Amazon Extension you will do so from Lima. Please click below for your Day 10-13 Extension Itinerary and flight information. This is an exciting opportunity to explore Peru's Amazon Rain Forest located in southeastern Peru, just west of the Bolivian border. You will be staying at the very special Inkaterra Amazonica Lodge, one of the best in the area, where they offer many "A la carte" excursions and activities included in your stay. Read the full itinerary.

Tour Pricing - All prices are in US Dollars - Per Person/Double Occupancy: Tour Price: $3950.00 USDSingle Supplement: $850.00 USDDeposit: $500.00 - To secure your reservation
Per Person/Double Occupancy - Two persons sharing a twin bedded room. Finding a roommate - We will be happy to try to match you with a roommate. If we are unable to do so the Single Supplement price will apply.Single Supplement - One person in a single room.This Tour Includes -